100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison
100 Days and 99 Nights is the story of Esmerelda and her family, trying to cope with the fact that their father is deployed on a 100 day and 99 night tour in the army. She does many things that help her come to terms with the fact that her father is deployed. Esme sleeps with a new stuffed animal every night, and has one for every letter of the alphabet except for X. She also involves her second grade class in many activities that help them recognize the troops overseas. Reading Level: 5.6 Interest Level: 4-7 |
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a story about just that: a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. From the moment Alexander wakes up, nothing seems to be going right. He tripped on a skateboard, dropped his sweater in the sink, and found no prize in his cereal box while both of his brothers found one. Throughout the day, Alexander goes through struggles, finishing off at bedtime with a broken nightlight and a cat that did not want to snuggle. At the end of the story, his mother tells him that these things happen, no matter who you are. Reading Level: 3.7 Interest Level: 2-5 |
Blue on Blue by Dianne White
Blue on Blue is the story of a family that is at the beach experiencing a perfect summer day, only to be interrupted by a thunderstorm that seems to be never ending. They go through every detail of the storm from beginning to end. First the clouds, then the raindrops, then thunder and lightning, then back to more rain, then to the sun returning and shining on all the mud that is left over. Reading Level: 2.0 Interest Level: K-3 |
Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
Chocolate Fever is the story of Henry Green and his love for chocolate. Henry loved chocolate so much that he ate a form of it for every meal of the day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even some of his snacks throughout the day were chocolate flavored. One day, Henry started breaking out in little brown spots all over his body that started growing larger and larger. He went to see a doctor, and he concluded that the spots were pure chocolate. Henry was so embarrassed and overwhelmed by all of the attention that he decided to run away. However, he cannot escape the chocolate, and fate brings him back home. Reading Level: 4.2 Interest Level: 4-7 |
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Freak the Mighty is the story of a very unlikely friendship between two boys as they grow up. Maxwell Kane, a shy child who is the son of a murderer, befriends his new next door neighbor Kevin, a crippled child and boy genius. The pair become inseparable and soon do everything together, calling themselves “Freak the Mighty.” They often go on “quests” which are basically mini adventures that Kevin, who is called “Freak”, comes up with. However, Maxwell’s dad is soon released from prison, and kidnaps him so that they can start a new life together. With the help of the police and some unlikely heroes, Freak is able to rescue Max. Everything returns to normal until Freak gets very ill, and he gives Max a journal to record all of their past adventures in, which results in this story. Reading Level: 5.5 Interest Level: 5-9 |
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Freckle Juice is the story of Andrew Marcus, a boy who wanted freckles just like another boy in his class. A girl in Andrew’s class named Sharon told him she knew the recipe, and would give it to him for 50 cents. Andrew agreed, and mixed all the ingredients together and drank it. However, it made him sick and did not give him freckles. But he did not want to beat Sharon at her own game, so he drew blue dots on his face and neck. At the end of the story Miss Kelly, Andrew’s teacher, gave him a special recipe for freckle removal. She also explained to the class that everyone looks perfect the way they are already. Reading Level: 3.1 Interest Level: 2-5 |
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Frindle is the story of fourth grader Nick, who is very quirky and often annoys the teachers. In his language arts class, his teacher named Mrs. Granger has them often look up words in the dictionary. He tires of this, and decides they need to make new words. Nick starts calling a pen a “frindle,” and this name sticks with his classmates despite his teacher’s efforts to get them to stop. At the end of the story, “frindle” becomes so popular that it even ends up in the dictionary itself. Reading Level: 5.4 Interest Level: 4-7 |
Hooway For Wodney Wat by Helen Lester
Hooway For Wodney Wat is the story of a rat named Rodney who has a speech impediment that causes his r’s to sound like w’s. He was often made fun of at his elementary school, until a huge rodent named Camilla came into the class. She was bigger, taller, faster, and smarter than all of her classmates, and many started to feel intimated by her. When the teacher said it was time to play “Rodney Says,” Rodney was scared that he would be made fun of by Camilla. However, she took all his instructions seriously, and ended up leaving the school, which made Rodney out to be the hero. Reading Level: 3.1 Interest Level: P-2 |
Hug Me by Simona Ciraolo
Hug Me is the story of a cactus named Felipe who wants one thing, and one thing only: a hug. However, his family refuses to hug him and instead directs him to be an object to be looked at and not touched. He is discouraged by this thought, and decides to leave home. He goes on a journey to find someone to hug him, and meets a new friend along the way. Reading Level: 2.0 Interest Level: K-3 |
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus is the story of kindergartener Junie B. Jones. She does not want to ride the bus because everything about it detests her. She does not like the people, the smells, the noises, and the ride, but does not mind school itself. She decides to take action into her own hands, and hides in the closet when the school day is over. After adventuring through the halls for a while, she is eventually found, and her mother finds someone for her to ride the school bus with the next day. Reading Level: 2.9 Interest Level: 1-4 |
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Love You Forever is a story of the love and bond that a mother has with her children, specifically her son. As he grows up, she continues to sing a song to him called “Love You Forever.” The basis of that song is that no matter what life throws at him, she will always love him and he will always be her baby. Towards the end of the story, the mother grows old and ill, and the boy rushes to her side. When he gets there, he sings his mother the song that she sung him for all those years, showing her the impact that she has had on his life. Reading Level: 3.4 Interest Level: K-3 |
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is the story of a small boy who befriends his neighbors. His favorite neighbor was Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she had four names just like he did, and he decided to tell her all of his secrets. However, Wilfrid overheard his parents talking about Nancy, and learned that she had lost her memory. So Wilfrid asks all of his neighbors what a memory is, and sets out to find memories to give to Nancy. These memories sparked memories of her own, and she was able to tell Wilfrid stories about her past. Reading Level: 3.5 Interest Level: K-3 |